1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and system for sending electronic mail and more particularly for a method and system for correction of electronic mail addresses.
2. Description of Background
In recent years, electronic communication has become a preferred medium of communication for many businesses and individuals. The preference stems from the many advantages that are provided by this mode of communication. People have always wanted to correspond with one another in the fastest way possible. Electronic mail, also known as email or e-mail, is advantageous over regular mail in this respect as it provides a near instantaneous form of communication. Prior to e-mail, first telegraph, and then later facsimile provided similar instantaneous forms of communication but in both instances the steps leading to sending and then ultimately steps involved in receiving this instant communication were burdensome. By contrast, once means of communication is established, electronic mail does not provide any additional burdens either for the sender or the receiver of the mail in sending and/or receiving it.
In many instances, e-mail is even taking the place of telephone or is even preferred to it. While affording the same ease and instantaneous means of communication as a telephone, electronic communication is preferred in instances where there is an advantage to recording the communication. For example documentation of communications may be required or at least preferred in instances where such documentation provides legal protection to one or both parties. But even in situations where such documentation is not necessary, written documentation affords better information retention. For example, it may be easier to organize and retain information about a client's new address and phone number when such information is provided by stored electronic means that can be easily retrieved as opposed to other means that can be more easily misplaced.
The popularity of e-mail has led both individuals and businesses to rely heavily on this form of communication. E-mail allows people to write back and forth without having to spend much time worrying about how the message actually gets delivered. As technology grows closer and closer to being a common part of daily life, the reliance of both individuals and businesses on this medium of communication is sharply increasing. The concept of electronic mail is founded in the concept of an address. An e-mail address provides all of the information required to get a message to any other user or businesses anywhere around the world.
Due to the instantaneous and mostly reliable nature of this communication, often times once the e-mail is sent, the user assumes the necessary information has been disseminated. Unfortunately, however, there are instances where the message contained in the e-mail cannot be delivered for a number of reasons to the intended recipient. In such instances, the message sender often is not informed about delivery difficulties until much later. By then, the sender may have gone on to accomplish other tasks or may no longer be available for sometime. This, unfortunately, can create problems both for the sender and the intended receiver(s) of such information that have placed importance in fast delivery of such information.
In addition, the delivery error message (if sent), is typically only sent to the actual originator of the communication. Therefore, none of the successfully addressed recipients of the communication will be notified of the occurrence of an error until attempting to initiate subsequently responses to the original message that often use the same distribution lists of recipients having the same embedded incorrect information. As more and more users get involved and more responses are generated, the error further compounds as it is duplicated each time, leading to the cascading of incorrect e-mail addresses and information that were originated from an earlier stage from a single source.
The error and associated lost productivity become a permanent attribute in any later communication that uses the erroneous email address or addresses. There are no adequate solutions in prior art that currently address this problem. Consequently, it would be desirous to implement a technique where such cascading of error can be minimized or eliminated.